Win $100 and Get Published: Enter Our Pitchfest!

They might give you guidelines to help you write and format your pitches and posts the way the blog’s editors like, but that isn’t the same thing as letting you see inside the selection process.

Consider this post (or more accurately, the comments on this post) your window into how we choose the guest posts we publish on this blog. Use it as a place to practice your pitching, or take a serious shot at first prize — or if you’re super-shy, you can just lurk and learn. But we hope you’ll join in!

Now, the million hundred-dollar question:

Do you have a great idea for a blog post that an audience of freelance bloggers would want to read?

Then now’s your chance to pitch your blog post idea to us and win $100 if we choose it as our favourite to publish here on Be a Freelance Blogger. 🙂

Here’s how this works…

Enter the Pitchfest!

In case you’re not familiar, Pitchfest is a blog post pitching contest we run here on Be a Freelance Blogger every 3 months. You tell us your blog post idea and we choose our favourites, with prizes of up to $100 for the winners.

The contest starts today.

Your theme for this Pitchfest

This time we’re looking for pitches on the theme of “first clients”.

Interpret that theme any way you like – we’d love to see pitches about how our readers can *find* their first clients, *impress* their first clients, negotiate a *raise* with their first clients, *sell* more services to their first clients, get their first clients to *refer* more clients… you get the picture, right?

We’re looking forward to seeing what YOU come up with. Maybe you could tell us how you did something cool with your very first client, or maybe you’ve got a brilliant and meaningful satire in mind. We don’t know until we read your comments, and that’s what makes it exciting!

The rules

Anybody can enter the contest by typing (or pasting) their pitch into the comments box at the bottom of this page.

Only ONE PITCH per person, please.

Follow the pitch format I’ll tell you in a moment.

After you submit your pitch, Lauren and/or Sophie will offer feedback to help you optimise your idea for this blog’s audience and improve your pitching skills. You may also get feedback from other entrants, BAFB team members, and innocent bystanders — pay attention, because they represent your readers here.

After you get our feedback, you can revise your pitch if you like and re-submit it by pasting it into a follow-up comment. And yes, that means you can offer us a completely different idea if we’ve told you your first idea definitely won’t work for this blog.

If you win, we’ll ask you to send us a draft of at least 1000 words, so bear that minimum word count in mind when you pitch.

The prizes

First prize: $100 for your guest post, paid on publication.

Second prize: $50 for your guest post, paid on publication.

Third prize: A 3-question mentoring package via email.

The deadline

Submit your pitch before the end of Saturday, July 2nd, 2016.

We’ll announce the winners on July 9th.

If we choose your pitch, we expect you to deliver your first draft to Lauren by July 30th. (But if you need a little longer, let us know and we’ll work around it.)

How to pitch

Suggest at least one headline designed to make freelance bloggers want to read your post.

Follow the headline with the opening lines you’d use in the post. No less than 30 words, no more than 60. You DON’T need to write a whole post (or even a whole introduction) before you pitch — we’d like to give you feedback on your idea before you write a draft.

After the opening lines, give us no more than 6 points you’ll make in your post, and provide a one or two sentence summary of each point. (If you plan to make more than 6 points in your post, only tell us the most important 6 in your pitch.)

Then explain in no more than 3 sentences why this is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger and why you’re the right person to write it.

Put your pitch in the comment box at the bottom of this page.

Check the little box that says “Notify me of follow-up comments” so you’ll know when we’ve given you feedback.

Submit your comment and if you followed all the steps above, you’re entered into the contest.

Extra tips

It’s a good idea to explain how your pitch reflects the theme of “first clients” — unless it’s blindingly obvious, in which case you can probably assume we’ll see the connection without extra signposting.

Remember to tell us why you think your blog idea will interest the people who read Be a Freelance Blogger.

To get a better idea of what Lauren and I are looking for in your pitch, study the pitches and responses in previous Pitchfests.

Save a copy of your pitch somewhere before you post it here — if your comment gets lost in the internet, you don’t wanna have to re-write it from scratch.

Your comment may get held in a moderation queue, especially if it contains hyperlinks. Don’t worry if that happens; we’ll get to it and reply!

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Comments

The ultimate way to keep your business afloat is to get initial clients, then have them coming back for more. No matter what industry, you can always find a way to get first-time clients needing more.

– “catching clients” -> love at first sight
– fluffing your wings to make you look top notch
– communication; no cheesy pickup lines, just straight forward and professional communication
– timely and lovely -> give yourself a tighter timeline than you give them, so you finish “early” and are impressive.
– the best “first time” -> the better the first time around, the more they want it again
– gratitude -> thank your clients because not only have you done a service to them, but they are giving you work. If they feel appreciated, they might want to seek that feeling again later on.

This concept is highly important for every blogger and freelancer. This idea can help you retain clients but also spread a good word about you as well. I have a short amount of experience, but great success stories too, from small gigs to clients spreading the word and receiving much larger jobs.

Not bad, Katie! I would have liked to know more about the “love at first sight” section (are you referring to you falling in love with them or them falling in love with you? And is it in regard to how your website looks? Or theirs? Or…what? lol).

OPENING LINES
You’re new to freelancing, but it’s going well: you’ve just landed your first client! You work your hardest to surpass client standards, but you STILL manage to confuse her. Now, you need extra time to complete the job–time you can’t offer for free. Here are three tips that helped me secure a pay raise in light of freelancing confusion.

POST POINTS
1 Work off of an agreed contract (this can tie into the next tip…)
– Ensure you’re both on the same page from the beginning. But that doesn’t mean things will go perfectly, and in case you have disagreements (but didn’t think to sign a formal contract before doing the work)…

2 Communicate through email, or record business calls (get permission beforehand of course!)
– The way the last tip ties into this: if you agree upon things via email, or if you record your business call, it acts as an agreed-upon contract you can refer back to when the client expects more work from you without pay renegotiation.

3 Value Yourself
– Understand that there may be extenuating circumstances in your client’s life that cause them to behave less professionally than is called for. Don’t let that affect your self-value, because it’s not personal.

WHY THIS POST IS RIGHT FOR BAFB AND *I’M* THE RIGHT BLOGGER TO DELIVER IT
This story would be great for BAFB because I’ve personally used these tips in my freelance editing experiences. When I tried to transfer them to blogging, they helped me evade a freelance blogging money pit (had a client who refused to work off of a contract; though they would pay me hourly, I couldn’t secure relevant work and was wasting my professional time there). I began as a freelance editor and diversified into freelance blogging around 1.5-2 years after, and these tips go without saying in my regular work now.

Hi, Taylor! This is a good clear pitch, but I’d love to see you take it deeper – do you have any other tips, or more details about the 3 tips you’ve mentioned, that will shift this from “helpful” to “must read”?

Thanks so much for the feedback Sophie, and I saw that I forgot to congratulate you on your new bundle of joy 🙂 so congrats!

Okay, I’ll think deeper about this one – I’ll come back with more tips AND prep a 2nd pitch altered to have more DETAILS *about* the three tips that already exist. I’ll do my best to shift this from “helpful” to “must read”, this is exciting! Gotta get it in before the end on July 2nd (tomorrow) I see.

WOOHOO! First, thanks so much about the encouraging words regarding my headline, nice to know I did *something* right 🙂

Upon reading your comment, Lauren, I think I should focus on adding more, new points to the blog post rather than just giving more details about the points I’ve made already. I’ll flesh it out with more examples, and thanks again for the steering!

The Apocalylse – Are You Missing It?
It’s the end of the world…
As we know it
And I feel fine.

1. Interpreting the Bible and the “End of Times”. Cryptic messages that aren’t what we think and deciphering 2000 year old visions written in dead languages.
2. The four horse men, who and or what are they?
3. The second coming of Christ and what that means exactly.
4. Ascension and “The Rapture” and how most religions are a veil away from all encountering the same God.
5. Who and or what is God? Is He really some dude in the clouds and what was the deal with Jesus, was that really His son and did His self sacrifice work?
6. How did He raise from the dead and who helped Him?

How is your lovely baby? and hope you are enjoying the joys of motherhood 🙂

Well here is my Pitch. This an unusual one!

Title

100 Ways To Land Your First Freelance Blogging Client: A Collection Of Stories From Experienced Freelance Bloggers And How You Can Do The Same Too.

Introduction

So, you know you want to be a freelance blogger.
However, there is a little problem.
You do not have any client yet and a potential client will probably want to know if you have worked with anyone before.
Now that’s one big challenge!
Hmm! What a dilemma.
Does this sound like you?
Well, the good news is that you are not alone.
All the Professional Freelance bloggers you see today started with that very first client and am sure it wasn’t a pretty experience for them too.
This blog post will give an insight into how other Professional Freelance bloggers landed their very first client.
It is going to be a round up post with a single question sent out to 100 Freelance bloggers. The response gathered will be sorted out and put together into the blog post.
Other points to be covered include:

-How to package yourself
This will cover what you need to have such as a portfolio of samples before attempting to land a client.

-The right attitude
This will discuss how to “Fake it till you make it”. It will also talk about things you should work on in terms of personality.

This post will encourage freelance bloggers to have the courage to land their own very first client. As this will cover numerous stories from freelance bloggers’, it will provide a good knowledge of what is possible in different case scenarios.

Why Me:
I am a freelance writer and blogger for businesses and understand how challenging it can be to land that first client. I understand that different people have different circumstances surrounding them and getting to reveal how 100 Freelance bloggers got their first clients will not only be an eye opener but also a source of inspiration for the BAFB community.

I really love this idea. I think 100 bloggers’ responses, even considering that some may not answer you, might be a bit of an overkill. I think you might do better lowering the number to 20 and then maybe using the top ten or fifteen. 😉

Oh, and I also hope Sophie’s new baby is doing well. We definitely need a picture of the cutie pie. <3

This post would be pretty epic. My only concern would be rounding up that many people. I know Brent Jones shot for a huge roundup like this, and he got around 70 people to respond, but they were all types of freelancers. On BAFB, we’d want insight from freelance *bloggers* specifically. Also, I imagine that there’d be some overlap in advice if you’re interviewing 100 people, so it might be better to get 15-20 people who all have different stories/advice. But if you can manage to get 100 stories, that’s awesome!

The only other thing is that I’d shorten your headline. It’s a bit long.

Great pitch! And I love that you’re proposing a relevant roundup topic. This type of post takes work to research and prepare, but if you get good quotes from respected experts then it’s totally worth the effort. Well done, Aisha!

Sophie,
Hope you are enjoying your new baby! Below is my pitch for the Pitchfest. I look forward to your feedback—I’ve been toying with this topic in my head for several weeks so the timing to put it out there is perfect!
Mary Minor Davis

How to Lose Your First Client Without Taking it Personally

The very nature of freelancing means that clients will come and go. No matter how good the quality of your work or the depth of the relationship, eventually clients will want to “try a different approach.”
Of course, it’s hard to think about this when you’re basking in the excitement of landing that first client. This post will help you keep several things in mind that will make that day of separation go much easier on your pride—and your confidence.
1. Understand the relationship between freelancer/consultant and your client (vs. employer/employee)
2. It’s nothing personal. It’s ok to share pleasantries with your clients but don’t overshare the personal stuff.
3. Never let them see you sweat. Whatever challenges you face as a sole proprietor, always remember that your client doesn’t care how the ship got into dock—they just want it there when they’re ready to board. The same is true for your project delivery.
4. Look for signs that the client is slipping away (these will be shared in the full post).
5. When talk of separation occurs, try to find out what new approach the client is taking. Offer to provide any background resources you’ve gathered to help the client with the transition to a new freelancer.
6. Be sure to ask for a reference! Just because they are going in a different direction, don’t assume they weren’t happy with your work.
7. Don’t forget to thank them for the opportunity, and wish them continued success (the use of the word “continued” is deliberate).

I have had many clients come and go in my career of more than 15 years working in both the agency environment and in my freelancing life. It’s always hard, but I’ve learned that it’s almost never personal. I think other freelancers will really connect with this topic, and hopefully newer freelancers will steel themselves for the day when they lose their first client.

Lauren. Thanks for the great feedback (positive comments feed the writer’s insecurity every time) on my pitch as well as the others. I’ve learned a lot by just reading these ideas and the comments. I’m already a winner from the experience! Good luck to all.

More services=More cash!
After completing a few paid writing assignments for clients, receiving positive feedback but then never hearing from them again, I realized I was losing out on potential dollars by not offering them more services.
• How you are missing out on a big chunk of change-Your clients are spending money on their marketing efforts, you can either be the one receiving it or not…
• How to offer more value to your current clients-What else can you offer your current clients? If you provide blog posts, can you provide social media post and management? If you provide product descriptions, can you rewrite a landing page?
• How to encourage low spending clients to increase their budget-You need to show your clients that spending money on your services is an investment that will pay off…
• How to branch out but still feel confident in your finished product-If you’re considering offering additional services, you’ll need to make sure they are still skills you have in your wheel house otherwise, you could set yourself up for failure, and negative reviews…
• How to change previous clients into your own PR machines – If you can’t encourage previous clients to use you for further services you can still elicit more money from them by having them recommend and promote your services….
This would be a very useful post for Freelance Blogger readers as we are all interested in making more money and once you have invested time and energy into building a relationship with a client, it makes sense to maximize the possible returns, rather than simply repeating the whole process with another client.
I am the right person to write this post because I have done it myself. I have turned an initial $30 fee from a client into a long lasting relationship that continues to make me money month in and month out and resulted in positive referrals to entice new clients.

I like the topic and it seems like it’d make a great post, but I’m not seeing the “first clients” topic of the contest coming through. Maybe you could tweak it a bit? Something about having a lot of services to offer RIGHT OF THE BAT in order to score your first client…?

“Growing the Freelance Garden; sifting for fruitful clients and resources amid the flowers and the frauds.”

Freelance blogging is a deep well of opportunities and there are plenty of resources to help anyone get started and looking for your first client. Unfortunately there is a darker and seedier side that just waiting to drain your hopes, dreams and bank account dry and leave you with nothing but an e-book library full of recycled and often outdated information.

Talking Points:

-Research potential opportunities: This point focuses on researching potential clients and sifting through the good and bad information to find the truth hidden in the gooey center.

-Honest Communication
This point will discuss the importance of being clear and honest and making sure the client understands that the same is required. Don’t fall for fancy wording or hidden subtext. If something seems confusing, ask for clarification. Offer the same to your clients.

-Network the well-knowns and the unknowns
Connecting to a few well-knowns is great, but don’t forget those who are in the same place you are. Two heads can prove to be better than one, with varying perspectives and sharing opportunities.

-Be Professional
When we’re looking to form a connection with someone who may very well be our bread and butter for a while, we want to be taken seriously and that means presenting ourselves as professionals.

-Use your instincts
No one got through their formative years without using their instincts and trusting their gut. If something doesn’t feel right, ask for clarification or for what it would take to make it right. If that doesn’t help or you can’t get it, it might be time to cut and run.

Why I think this would be a good idea…
There’s a LOT of people offering a LOT of information out there and they all have THE answer, or so they say. It can get overwhelming fast. I’m new to this and have spent much (too much?) time trying to sift through all of it only to find myself cutting out most of what I originally found potentially helpful. This is the kind of “first” information I think everyone needs before they start looking for clients.

(Hello and thank you for this opportunity, regardless of the outcome!)

I like this topic and it sounds like you have some great ideas for making it a post worth reading; however, I’m not really seeing the “First Clients” theme of the contest coming through… Maybe you could tweak your pitch a bit to share how learning to sift through this knowledge is instrumental in landing your first client? :/

Thank you for your thoughts, Lauren! I looked over the pitch itself and can see where it might not express the right idea for the post. I did some modification to it – let’s see if this one works better?

Freelance blogging is a deep well of opportunities and there are plenty of resources to help anyone get started in looking for your first client. But how do you find that first ‘good’ client versus one that may make you throw up your hands and turn your blogging career into a soulful lament? By using the very things that will help you form the backbone of your blogging career, you can separate the delicious wheaty-client-seeking goodness from the chaffing awfulness of bad resources eager to drain your hopes, dreams and bank accounts.

“Tripping at the Starting Line: How to not begin your post”
You’ve done it. Your pitch was accepted! Not only did the editor love your idea, but she said she “wouldn’t change a thing” about the outline you suggested. You plug out some beautiful prose, turning the draft in days before deadline.
But things turn nasty when you get a message back. The editor said, “I like it, but you don’t make your point till the end” or the dreaded “I fell asleep two sentences in.”

I. Setting the Stage with too much Scenery: Good scene work can humanize interviews, add tension to narrative relationships, and more importantly keep readers (and commission checks) coming your way. But not every voice deserves having their person examined visually. Everytime you describe something with anything more than an adjective, you should be able to explain how it contributes to the articles point when someone points it out.

II. When Kafka did in German it was cool; but you aren’t Kafka: The beginning of The Metamorphosis begins with this line:
“As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed into a gigantic insect-like creature.”
That is a hell of a sentence. It weaves itself slowly through the details of the previous night only to shock you at the very end with the Samsa being a big ol’ creature. Long widening sentences that build suspense slowly work well for Kafka. Unless your prose work is really wrought of some solid execution, avoid beginning with sentences that seem to amble for no reason. Get to the meat of the issue in as few words as possible.

III. Do not force me to smell coffee in the first sentence of an article: I cannot tell you how many profiles I’ve read where, readers begin by describing the smell of the coffeehouse they entered to interview their subject. Avoid this at all cost (unless that person roasts coffee, in which case sally forth).

IV. Beginning with resolution: It can be hard to avoid. Sometimes when you get a story, the chatoic tension has already played out. The judge passed the virdict. The student flunked out. The restaurant closed. If you have the column inches to play with, why start with resolution? Why not build from the point of tension? The lawyer’s pivotal question. The student the night before the exam. The fundraiser folks put on for the struggling restaurant.

V. A beginning in the weeds will stay in the weeds: I love getting into the semantics when talking about politics, but even I hate when the opening paragraph gets into the weeds to quickly. Are your writing about common place issues? How much can you assume your reader knows? I don’t like to assume readers are dumb, but the hard part should be grappling with your ideas not your writing style. Start with simple language and show your work as you go.

VI. Kill your darlings (and anything else that moves): We’ve all heard this one. You have one sentence, perhaps it’s your ending. It’s the kind of line that you think would win the Pulitzer on its merrit alone. But the editor wants it cut. Like always, that means cut it, but sometimes editors let you get a way with some funky sentence that you love. If you’ve read a lot of Gawker you know what I’m talking about. Articles are little machines. If it seems like each sentence was fashined by a different person, it’s going to seem disjointed to the reader. All the sentences should seem like they were fashined from the same

Why me?
Beginnings are hard to right because they are often the most important part of the piece. A fun way of exploring how to do things right is knowing what others have found didn’t work. As someone who has pitched a lot of stories and has had several drafts turned down because of problems with lede, I have great experience with what doesn’t work.

This is all solid advice and would make a nice post; however, I’m not seeing the “first clients” theme of the contest coming through in your pitch. How does this advice help bloggers land their first client? :/

Totally hear you. (In an attempt to make it work) I think this applies to the prompt because it offers advice on the first section of what might be the first article for a client. Ledes are the first bits of professional material clients will engage with from a potential writer. If the beginning leaves a lot to be desired, how will they nail down that client? Maybe I’m reaching here, but I think it is the kind of advice that would aid the bloggers as they reach out to clients with content and work to develop that relationship.

Possible Headlines: (I couldn’t decide between the two)
1.) Nail Your Interviews like a Boss with These Six, Easy Tips
2.) The Blogger’s Guide to Interviewing: Six Tips for Nailing Every Interview

Introduction: If you’re like most freelance bloggers, the word “interview” leaves you shaking in your slippers. Your moxie gets up and goes whenever you swipe that “accept call” button. Maybe, just maybe, you’re worried about “wasting” interviewees’ time with pre-interviews, or you’re terrified you don’t know enough about their field. But interview chops will help you reel in your first client; command their respect; and–my all-time favorite–land those interviewees’ testimonials.

Points:
1. Learn the difference between good, bad, and neutral question types.
You’ve probably heard that there’s no such thing as a stupid question, but that’s just not true. In this section, I’ll teach you the difference between good (when, where, why, how, etc.) questions, bad questions (leading, compound, negative, etc.) and neutral questions (yes/no responses).
2. Pin down interviewee personality types.
Decode your interviewee’s personality: an integrator, dictator, commentator, or idealist. So, you’ll be able to decide if they’re tellin’ or sellin’.
3. Become knowledgeable about your interviewees sorting styles.
There are three sorting styles: time-oriented, sequence-oriented, and event-oriented. By figuring out your interviewees’ sorting style, you can gauge their “true” knowledge base and use methods like the forward and backwards to catch them in a lie.
4. Understand vocal cues.
Ever wondered why your interviewees suddenly change tempo, drag out certain words, or repeatedly use fillers, i.e. “um” and “like”?
5. Use silence to uncover hidden information.
Many questioners fail because they don’t wait for answers. “Silence” makes interviewees (and you) nervous. If you can wait it out, though, interviewees will spill the beans…and you’ll get glittering quotes that your first client will rave about.
6. Show your appreciation. (And ask for an interviewee testimonial!)
Every source–whether a complete delight or a pain in the rear end–likes to feel special. So, old-schoolers, pull out those thank you cards, and techies send those virtual thank you cards or shout outs via social media Facebook, Twitter, etc., and you’ll be able to ask for an interviewee testimonial to prove to those new clients and everyone else that you’ve got the chops to work with industry experts.

Who I am?
“Cherese’s unwavering strength in fighting to share Lil Stinker’s story is an inspiration to me. [It’s another] way to be a hero! [Our journey] has been a priceless insight into the life of a writer. She obviously works harder than anyone realizes. Having been a musician most of my life, I can relate to why selling became as much of a job as creating. [Cherese has]…the drive to survive.” -Lynn Julian, pop princess and Boston Marathon survivor

Why is this post perfect for BAFB?
Interviews: the thing that every newbie blogger is terrified of. Why? Because we bloggers not only carry our hearts on our sleeves but it squelches our best method of communication, writing. But interview skills will help you command higher rates; meet new people; become an industry expert; generate ideas.

Great topic, Cherese. Just to be clear, are you talking about clients interviewing you, or are you talking about you conducting interviews for your blog posts? I’m sure either angle would turn out great, but I just wanted to make sure I knew which angle you’re focusing on.

Thank you for your feedback! 😉 I could see that since sometimes you can land your first client without getting an interview for a source. (I know that I did. The first article I ever wrote was about pumpkin seeds.)

I just think it depends on the blog that you’re aiming for. Interviews are great for landing your first client, especially in certain niches like technology and healthcare, while asking for higher rates.

Opening Lines:
Woohoo! You’ve landed your first client – your hard work, constant pitching, tireless networking and endless freelance job applications finally paid off, or you just got lucky. But don’t crack open the Champers just yet, the hard work is only just starting.

This blog post will include the following points:
1. Your first client may not necessarily be your dream client – in the beginning we tend to take what we can get, therefore your first client may not be exactly what you were hoping for.
2. You may have got the job, but you still need to prove yourself – you’ve done the sweet talking to get the job but now you need to prove that you can actually do the job that you’ve been given and impress your client enough for them to hire you again.
3. You’ll probably make loads of mistakes – meeting deadlines, clear communication with the client, sending invoices and chasing down payment are just a few things that you may not be entirely clued up on with your first client.
4. You’ll probably look back on this job in a few years (or even months) and cringe – we’re not all totally awesome from the start. You learn and get better as you do more work.
5. You need more than one client – your first job is done and dusted, hopefully they signed you up for more work, but now you need to start putting energy into grabbing that second, third, fourth client. It’s a never ending hustle.

I think this blog post will work because it will give a bit of a reality check to new freelancers. After landing your first client its easy to start slacking on the marketing front and thinking that your freelance career is set. I think I’ll be perfect to write this blog post as I’m kind of in this position at the moment – I found my first few clients with little effort, now that I’m looking to go freelance full-time and needing more work, I’m realizing that it’s quite a hustle to get new clients.

I love your pitch, especially point number 5! When I first starting freelancing I kept working with one client and not looking for any others, so when all of the writing went “in-house” I had to start from scratch. It’s not a fun feeling!

INTRODUCTION: “Surely by now, you are feeling crazy, correct? You have been chasing one freelance blogging gig after the other in hopes of making it work! You may even wonder if it is time to lay your head on someone’s couch (Lucy’s?)– sweaty handkerchief in hand, tears a flow and story upon story of fame-driven attempts. What about the time… ”

POINTS:

1) Marketing: Lucy’s Psychiatric Booth! Attract/Find New Clients –

“What can we learn from our good girlfriend Lucy and her infamous psychiatric booth? What Lucy shows us is the importance of Marketing 101. Yes, when you hit wits end – advertise and make your potential consumers recognize…”

2) Branding: Impress Your New Client and FAST!

“Everyone knows what to expect when they drop a nickel (be sure to sell your services for more than a nickel guys) in Lucy’s jar. Yes, they are going to get consistent and familiar product…. ”

3) Competitors: “Be Prepared and Keep Them Running Scared!
“So… you have done it! You have a brand as big as our friend Lucy’s! Everyone recognizes your glorious written sense of humor, your digital trademark and your mission. Consistency and product quality are key…..”

4) Negotiations: You have a name. You’re Destined to Bring Them Fame – Make Them Pay.

“Again, we know that our friend Lucy had and expected and established rate! No bad advice before your paid a nickel! Ensure that your prices are pre-set and set in writing! Know who you are. Know what you can offer and have proof of your worth. Always keep track of your results and provide proof when necessary.”

5) Sell: Selling is Easy Once They Know Your Blogs Are Meaty!

“Remember, Lucy had great marketing (the look of her product). Lucy had great branding (Her own style of advice). Lucy had Competitors, but Lucy knew her worth and her prices were pre-set! Now that you’ve established …”

6) Refer: Have a Little Help FOR Your friends!

“Unlike Lucy, I believe in always helping a talented friend find their way! Yes, we have to be competitive but helping others is good for the soul! Referrals, according to LinkedIn… ”

WHY ME?

This blog promises to be informative, fast paced and witty. It identifies with a segment of pop culture that we all grew up with and love.

I am an aspiring business journalist who is also an engaging and witty Chicago Girl! I am an avid Student of Business and Pop Culture with a whole lot to say! In 2017, I will proudly hold my MBA in Finance! Can’t beat that!

How to negotiate.
Negotiating whit a client can be done in a way to suit everyone, if you do it right from the word go.You are here to impress so if you have don your homework and get your points across it can be plain sailing.
First, get to know what your clients need.
How long it will take to do.
A time-frame from start to finish.
What is involved in the project?
Negotiate a price.
Get a firm answer when to start.
It is very important to know what the clients need, and you are able to give him/her.
I have outlined what is needed for a great pitch and know I can do the job.

I’m a graphic designer trying to fit in the blogging world where there are tons of stories to be read, to make comments and be inspired!

This is my first time to join here and I hope my Pitch will be worth reading!

My First American Client

There are challenges every time with the first time clients. It’s inevitable and everyone is not immune to this. This blog gives a foresight on how to hit the mark that could land you your first ever client with great impression.

The Keys to First Client:

1. Understand the need – Whether it’s for a blog or not. The client can be very well specific with his need. It could be a blog about something unique, verifiable (meaning is it well informed blog), easy to understand (highfalutin jargon is big no no).

2. Tell them what are you capable of – Don’t be a pretentious one. The client can tell if you are lying or not. If you are into this, the client will walk away not ever willing to work with you. This can make a negative impact doing business with you as time goes by.

3. Give them something to depend on – Oh, boy. The deadline can be a stressful for everyone. The client can be mean in every way because they have their own time to deal with. Don’t waste client’s precious time, I’ve been here, I know!

4. Educate the client — Most of the time I’ve been with the client is that they are too excited to share their projects, forgetting the one thing and that is we are bound in time! Tell them straight how the project will work in this given time. Share them with the intricacies of this project and when they see it how things will work for them. They will learn and you’ll be surprised they will cooperate with you on this project with much intensity to get it done in short time!

5. Don’t hesitate to ask for the referral — Just ask the client for it. Satisfied client can be infectious to other people who are in need of your expertise. The client will not hesitate to endorse your expertness because you now have the bond and trust that client depends on.

6. Send an eCard thanking the client, if possible, or text him for the wonderful project that is life changing — Just a simple gesture will make your client smile, maybe. You’ll never know what comes next. Clients are human too, they need some refreshing sense of affection from another human being.

Why Me?:

I’ve been in this business for almost 25 years. Design is my bread and butter, my life that I depended upon and I’m a blogger, also film enthusiast! I know this blog will have a great impact to all those who are freelance blogger/graphic designer like me.

Hey John I hope you’ll come back to share your “from graphic designer to freelance blogger” transition story. It’s always interesting to hear about how people move into this line of business and the different insights you get when you’re coming into it from a different background. 🙂

Raymond McVay here. I’m a fan of your work, Sophie, so I’m definately looking forward to working with you.

Pitch: How to Make it Easy for Your First Client to Hire You

Would you hire someone that makes your job harder?

Nobody appreciates it when we make things more complicated than necessary.

Especially if it involves giving us money.

Making extra work for a potential client practically guarantees they never become an actual client. So the best way to get your first freelance blogging job is to make hiring you as easy as possible.

Spell Check: Because nothing says “barely graduated high school” like misspelling words when the computer will fix mistakes for you. This also includes using the correct spelling of “there” and when to add the apostrophe in “it’s”.

Grammar Check: Proper use of punctuation, capitalization, and basic formatting are essential skills for someone with aspirations of being a professional writer. If an article is hard to edit, it won’t be bought.

Word Limits: Word limits are in place for a reason. Writing great blog posts while keeping the word count within those limits not only shows respect for your client’s wishes, it demonstrates the ability to write professional, concise content.

Set the Proper Tone: As much I love a good Cracked.com article, if I was looking for a guest post on financial planning or childcare, I wouldn’t buy anything that read like one. The tone of your post is the first impression that the audience – and the client – uses to decide if they will trust what you have to say.

Be Confidant! If your pitch expresses the doubts you may feel about your ability to deliver for you client, then you’re making it easy to not hire you. Believe in your writing, or no one else will.

It’s possible that I am destined to win this contest.
Seriously though, the day before you announced the Pitchfest theme was “first clients”, I sold my first article as a freelance blogger. I just put all of these principles to the test, so I know how important they are to anyone who wants to be a freelance blogger.

Hello, I’m new to the BAFB community (was introduced by a friend), but wanted to say hi, and love to offer my contribution here as well!

TITLE:
How to Cultivate a Genuine Passion for Marketing Your Blogging Services (Even if the Idea Gives You Nausea)

INTRO:
As you’re pursuing your freelance blogging dreams, You think to yourself: “Selling my services sucks! It’s time consuming and a drag!” Then like others, you give up. But what if you could make it part of your passion? I also hated marketing myself – but not anymore. And if I could do it, so can you.

4 POINTS:

-Start by learning the mysteries behind marketing & sales theory

As a blogger, learning new concepts and theories is something you probably enjoy. From effective copywriting skills, to learning how to properly create a wordpress site that markets more effectively, I personally find the topic of marketing and sales extremely interesting, and it’s something you can learn to enjoy as well.

-Ensure blogging is your ultimate passion (and your not only in for the money)

Steve Jobs, the founder and former CEO of Apple said it perfectly, “people with passion can change the world.” Once you realize that your passion for blogging is to help others by providing informative ideas and concepts, the thought of marketing yourself to spread your message becomes part of that passion as well.

-Look at the ultimate outcome of gaining true freedom and self confidence

Becoming full-time freelancer means you enjoy true self confidence and the freedom from working for someone else. I have learned to enjoy promoting myself and services because of this, and so can you!

-Gain natural endorphins through a competitive spirit!

Going into the psychology of competitiveness, we all naturally want to become better. When you take on the excitement of becoming one of the best bloggers on the freelance market, you produce natural endorphins that boosts your level of confidence to go out and effectively market yourself!

WHY:
Many pursuers (like myself before), don’t become freelance bloggers due to not enjoying the process of promoting themselves. I see many posts explaining how to market themselves and even how to overcome their fears, but don’t share how incorporate it into their passion of becoming a blogger. I believe my contribution will be helpful as I have been blogging for over 2 years now, writing on many marketing topics and I want to pour out some of my knowledge to your community.

I definitely agree with you. My problem was that I was trying to get all the information into the intro while abiding by the contest rules of limiting it to 60 words. But here is what my full intro would look like (with first client aspect included):

As you jump onto the wagon finding your first blogging client, reality strikes you in the back of the head like a ton of bricks!

You think to yourself: “Having to sell myself sucks! It’s time consuming and a major bore!”

Then you see your one dream fade away, all because you hate “selling” yourself.

Opening:
Have you ever felt like an outsider by not having experience? Maybe that there’s this giant wall separating you from other people doing great things, but somehow you’re not invited because you haven’t broken into the Arena of Experienced Great-Things-Doers?

I have good news. That wall exists only in your own mind. Let’s talk about how to smash through it.

6 Fallacies (of many more) of First-Timer’s Fear:
– “I can’t because I haven’t.” Another yoga teacher friend and I were discussing how many people tell us they can’t do yoga because they’re not flexible. My friend said “that’s like saying I can’t clean because my house is dirty.”
– “My first time has to go perfectly.” Think of a baby taking his first steps. Let’s be honest, babies really suck at walking. Thankfully it gets better, and thankfully they’re willing to suck at it for a while until it does.
– “Other people don’t have this fear” Others often tell me they see me as being fearless because they see me smashing through the Wall of Fear so wildly. The truth? I’m terrified of a lot of things a lot of the time, but I’m much more scared of missing out on opportunities because of those fears.
– “Real experience comes from the big leagues” LeBron James played ball for years before making it onto NBA courts. You don’t have to jump straight to paying with the big dogs – the time you spend offering your services to your community, your “safety net,” is just as valuable as working with strangers and big accounts – probably more so.
– “Failing makes me a loser” You are not your actions or experiences. Doing something wrong is a good thing – a learning opportunity that will allow you to do it better next time.
– “I need to know exactly what I’m doing to assert myself” Let’s consider April’s Top Secret Tip For Being An Adult: “Fake it. Everyone else is.” Seriously, no one really knows what we’re doing on this planet until we’ve gotten enough trial and error under our belts.

Why me? Why this?

I teach yoga, which means I work with people from all interests and professions, and I see fear holiding people behind walls in so many areas. One of my greatest assets as a teacher is to encourage and inspire my students to break free of their reservations so that they’re ready for awesome opportunities. My people love that I create an environment where they have a safe space to be really, really bad at stuff, so that we can figure out how to eventually make it really, really good for them.

You’ve probably read from experienced freelance writers the difficulties they encountered before landing their first clients. Some of them had practiced for months, perhaps years, before that “eureka moment” finally came their way. If you’ve felt crippled by this apparent fear of landing your first client, it’s time to relax, read and follow the steps I’ll elaborate in this article.
1. Decide on your niche(s)
You can’t be a jack of all trades and earn good money or attract high-paying clients as a freelance writer. You’ll need to specialize and become a master in one or few niches.
2. Build enough capacity and competencies
As a freelance writer, your earning potential is directly related to your ability to develop yourself and learn. Clients are attracted to writers who know their stuff and are on top of the game.
3. Write a few samples at no cost and ask for testimonials
Look for a few companies in your niche and offer to write at pro bono. This is not to say you are just giving your works away. The aim is to do a great job and ask them for referrals, in addition to using those works as your clips.
4. Find the client
There are many ways to find that first client. You may want to look at job boards, websites of small businesses, business directories and content mills (though these are mostly low-paying).
5. Send out winning pitch(es)
You create a good impression as a writer by sending out one or more pitches that are concise and straight to the point. Take this as a kind of elevator pitch and talk about what you can do and how this can benefit your potential clients with respect to high readership, email conversions and increased sales.

6. Remember to negotiate for a pro rate
Never be intimidated by the fact that you’re a newbie. Shop around for professional rates in your niches and go to the negotiation table fully prepared and armed. Your rates however, should be commensurate with the quality of your work.

This post is ideal for BAFB readers, due to its practical applicability, cutting across multiple niches. More importantly, this will serve a booster and a starter-pack to spur prospective writers who are hindered by a “wait-and-see” attitude. I’m the right person to write this post because of I’ve developed a passion to help people become high-earning freelance writers, full-time or part-time.

Two possible headlines:
1. Why You Don’t Want Your First Client To Be Any Of These Six Types
2. If Your First Client Is Any Of These Six Types, You’re Better Off With None

Landing your first client is a big deal. Like your first kiss big deal. (Although hopefully this isn’t how you got your first client.)

You’re geeked. You love this client for giving you a chance to prove your mad blogging skills. So you may not be quick to recognize that the client could be bad news.

Six clients you should avoid:

Discount Dave –
This fellow will try to talk down your rate, or promise future work if you discount your first job. You suspect he looks like a smarmy used-care salesman.

Vivian The Vague –
Poor Viv. She lacks the skill to make clear what it is she needs, has unrealistic expectations of you and is thus perpetually disappointed in you. Who needs that?

Quincy Of The Questions –
This guy, in a smug manner, questions every one of your payment policies or refuses to sign a contract – leaving you with your own question, “What the hell?”

Anxious Annie –
Annie confuses you with a 24-hour convenience store. She expects you to be at her beck and call at all times, including 3:16am.

Joe Jecklyll-Hyde –
Watch out for Joe. He’ll be your best friend one minute, then disparage and disrespect you and your work the next.

Deadbeat Darla –
This is the wishy-washy, full of excuses client who doesn’t pay on time. Or at all. She sucks.

I am the perfect person to write about this because I’ve worked many different jobs, including freelance writing, and had a tendency to put up with a lot of ridiculous behavior which left me miserable. In grasping that self-respect is worth more than a paycheck, I’ve gained the ability to say no and it’s been liberating. Didn’t a lot of us become freelance bloggers to feel more free?!

THE ENDLESS SUPPLY OF FREELANCE WRITING MATERIAL BUILT RIGHT INSIDE OF YOU

WITH THE CLIENT AS YOUR INSPIRATION

Talk to yourself as if you are someone else giving YOU that same advice

Grab from and get inspired through others experience and knowledge
try and place yourself in their shoes empathize through a trigger of feelings connected to inspire based on choices that have to be made
which will lead you to an outcome depending on the path you choose.

When writing a client be easy & authentic but professional
Keep it clean and simple
Humbly Unafraid
Pitch ideas about things you believe in personally that is close to your heat
Ask yourself what important information needs to get out there to touch people because when you start speaking in truth it is effectively changing and provoking thought in countless people from the words in your own head.
It spreads on a deeper level and things start to shift.

That is participating in real growth within our society, and the human race.
A writing warrior activist and revolutionary.
I get excited when I inspire myself and others.
Endorphins are the best medicine when writing
When you speak it into existence you’re already halfway there.
Be able to have the duality of your knowledge intertwined with your personality it’s having the best of both worlds

which is your foundation for success
no matter the situation you are put in
you will adapt

nothing is more powerful than comprehending what you are truly capable of.
Fearless to the good and bad

don’t let criticism get to your heart
and don’t let compliments get to your head. Stay focused. Simplicity is the key factor in life and in writing

For example being able to touch or Relate with potential clients solely through an email is profound
once you let go of what you think you should be
or the false expectations of what they want you to say
You can then stand firmly in your purpose and stick to your roots
which will be noticed

someone with that kind of mentality has more influence and power in their own future and career of writing
Rather than being the best writer ever that doesn’t have that open line of connection and over analyzes into self destruction

Hey we all have insecurities and flaws that’s not the point here. I am only telling you it’s ok to be you, and not only that you will be rewarded in every single way.
Being free to just be real
but having your knowledge on point
And able to be quick witted while taking the lead in questionable situations.
That’s what most clients are looking for
someone to take charge and guide the situation with great ideas and a vision
while having confidence.
Being able to make decisions without someone telling you what to do

But instead taking the initiative of having confidence in your instincts and the information you carry like a loaded gun intermingled with life experience.

Even if it is not your own, you can gain perspective and inspiration dissecting the “What if” scenarios
that can go a long way.

Limitless amounts of combinations to pull from in this way of thinking.
Mind puzzles to building story lines as a selling point with clients.

What if you used information acquired about that specific client to incorporate into your selling point that is mixed with your own views or underlying factors to an idea for that story ?

People want to feel something familiar which grabs their attention and makes it personal
While also learning something new at the same time.
Being Multi Versatile is a combination for building a relationship with clients that goes on a much deeper more memorable level that will allow for you to not be forgotten
and it’s purely genuine
that’s why it works

Some of your advice seems solid enough; however, I’m not really sure where you’re going with this. It seems like you lost track of what your post was really about or something. When I read the title and then read the advice, there was a bit of a disconnect.

In search of creativity: Ways to divert attention of clients to your writing
Many people are in search of creative and perfect writing these days. People are learning creative writing and are even starting a blog as to enrich their writing experience. So here are the perfect ways that can lead you straight to the footsteps of the writing that you people are searching for. Those who need writing tips and other resources can gain much more from this post here.
Here are the afore mentioned six ways:
1. First impression: It is really crucial to leave a good first impression to your first client.
2. Short and sweet: Keep your writing short and to the point.
3. Rich content: Make the content of your writing resourceful so that your client can extract as much as h/she needs from your work
4. Decency: Have some decent writing and treat your first client positively in case h/she approaches your writing.
5. Sarcasm: In case you want to add humor or sarcasm you can add a pinch of it in your writing so that your client likes it.
6. Editing and proofreading: Don’t forget to edit and proofread your writing so that your client can have a smile in his/her lips that will make them want to read your article over and over.
This will be a resourceful and informative post for BAFB. Even though I am a novice writer and blogger, I am capable of molding my draft and turning it in a creation. I can gather knowledge and provide resources regarding this post.
Thank you.

3. Opening lines
Well… maybe not all your first clients! As a newbie freelance blogger, you’ll come across some diamonds and some disaster areas. Look out for these red and green light behaviours – send the bad clients to the scrap yard, give 110% to the great ones, and watch your business enter the fast lane.

4.
Green Light Behaviours – Signs that it’s worth investing time and effort into making this a fabulous long-term business relationship.

Is upfront about paying a deposit or escrow
Your client asks about your terms of business during initial discussions, or states theirs, and is prepared to pay a deposit or put money in escrow. I would then elaborate on how bloggers should invoice/use escrow platforms.

Gives clear and detailed instructions
Your best clients will be those who know what they want and can describe it clearly. I would then elaborate on what this means, and how to get clear info from clients if they aren’t sure how to provide this at first.

Pays on time and in full.
And what to do if a client is habitually paying late.

Red Light Behaviours

Refuses to pay any money upfront
If this is your first gig and the pay seems great, realising you should ditch them is going to burst your feels like a big balloon filled with water. More on why you should never provide work without getting money upfront, unless it’s an established client relationship, and even then you should consider whether it’s worth the risk.

Constantly changes and adds to the brief
It’s good to be flexible, but someone who changes the goalposts constantly, and tries to wrangle free work out of you in the process is someone to ditch, so you can use the energy to find a better client. I would list some examples of this so it’s clear to new bloggers!

Doesn’t respect your time and boundaries
Clients who call and text unnecessarily to the point where it interrupts your work, and clients who expect you to be available 24 hours. Discussion of simple boundary setting to deal with this – and knowing to ditch the client if they create more problems in response.

5. This is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because it addresses a common bugbear for new bloggers – the difficult or deadbeat client. The post addresses the “red light” behaviours to look out for, and gives new bloggers the confidence to cast off these“customers”, knowing that their business takes priority over the hurt feelings of problem clients. I’m the right person to write this because I have 6+ years’ blogging and copywriting experience, and have built up a successful niche in art writing, charging £50 per hour, and working with lots of lovely clients.

Interests, Education and Location: How to Catch Those First Clients with What You Already Have

Hi everyone! (And my congrats and good wishes on the baby, Sophie! Are you getting enough sleep?)

When you are a new freelance blogger, it’s easy to focus on the clips you don’t have. And if you don’t have experience, what will you say in your pitch?

Luckily, you’ve lived a life before this career move. You’ve your interests, education and address. Before fearing you don’t have any expertise, let’s make sure you’re taking advantage of these:

Interests:

Anything you do for fun goes: Your favorite band, that TV show you can’t stand, fishing and traveling are all fair game.

Education:

What did you study in university? Were you homeschooled? What topics did you hate in high school?

Location:

You know how you scoff at tourists because they don’t know anything? We will milk that.

*

This post works for beginner freelancers, as well as freelancers who feel stuck in certain niches. As writers, we have more knowledge than we think, but it is easy to get lost in a state of panic. With this post, I will talk writers through how I got my first clients through my interests (i.e. being a rock music geek), education (my Business BA got me my first business writing clips) and location (my knowledge of my hometown and my mother’s got me travel writing clips). I also plan to quote a few successful freelance bloggers on how these three got them their first clients as well. I’d be happy to provide more details, should you need them.

Hi Sophie – congratulations on baby Iris! Hope she’s sleeping more through the night now 😉 (We’re still waiting for the last one to stop waking up at 1 a.m.!)

All right – down to business:

“Landing that first golden client: how fresh-faced freelance bloggers do it”
A quick tips guide to help newbie freelance bloggers land their first real flesh-and-blood client.

Intro:
Zendesk is not a client. Neither is Demand Studios, nor TextBroker, or any other mass-marketing content farm or mill that’s out there. These are companies that ask you to commit to them heart and soul, but only pay out in cents, not dollars. And really, after all the time and effort you pour into your blogging, is that all you’re worth?

But starting out in the world of freelance blogging is hard. You’re probably thinking, “Gahh! There’s just NO WAY I can compete!” No matter to which webpage you turn, there seems to be a billion of super-talented, highly-experienced writers out there And then you just want to go crawl into a hole somewhere and eat a whole block of cheese, Bridget-Jones-style.

But if you have a splinter’s worth of talent, and a whole lot of passion, you will succeed in netting a real, live client, not a robot, who is willing to compensate you more than fairly for your efforts.

So, the question is, how do you do it? Here’s the quick guide to help you get started –

1. Plan your attack
When you happen upon that first lead, job ad, or referral, you’ll probably be champing at the bit to send off a quick email ASAP to grab their attention (just like yours truly). But keep calm and carry on…and do a bit of research. Take a few moments to check out the client’s, or their company’s profile, website, and social networks. Is this someone you’d be happy to blog for?

Don’t flap about applying blindly to every well-paying position you come across. Not all gigs are created equal, so don’t waste time jumping through hoops for a client whose vision may not suit your blogging style or your skill set.

2. A strong LOI is your secret weapon
Your cover letter or reach-out email IS your best writing sample. So if it sends the reader to sleep before they get to your writing samples, they’re probably not going to reply. Come up with a catchy email subject line that will make them want to open it. Discuss briefly what your potential employer wants, and then offer your services as the solution. One caveat: avoid using lots of “I” sentences, like: “I could be the bestest writer EVER for you. Please, please, please hire me?”

3. Fudge it
I don’t mean go and eat a whole package of fudge, I mean get creative with your c.v. and experience. Think back, way back. Did you write for your high school newsletter? Had an opinion piece that made it into the local paper? Or did you write lots of emails when working as a receptionist? You’re creative with words, so filter out all those writing experiences you’ve ever had. (But don’t get me wrong – don’t lie. You’ll get caught out faster than a bug in a roach motel.)

4. Portfolio, portfolio, portfolio
This tip will include advice about building a portfolio of samples (even if you don’t have any) and how to send them to potential clients – and also about how to edit or refresh existing samples to suit different clients’ needs.

And don’t worry if you’ve never been published online. Though getting published does carry a lot of cred, if you’ve got top-notch, ready-to-go samples, a great client will look beyond the lack of a URL, and see exactly what kind of blogging chops you’ve got.

5. Let a little sunshine in
Last but not least, don’t forget to show them your stuff – and I mean, your personality. Let it shine through your cover letter/email. Clients want to get to know you – are you a straight-laced stick-in-the-mud type, or do you tend to go with the flow? And do you have a sense of humour (if at all)? But don’t go overboard – a client could about-face super fast if they’re a professional techy firm, and your blogging voice comes across like a telemarketing sales speech.

Why me? As a mom of four looking for an awesome work-from-home job that didn’t involve transcription typing (Yuk!), I unfortunately spent much of the beginning of my freelance blogging career grazing around content farms, thinking that they were clients. That was, until I landed my first (proper) one. Having learnt the hard way what needs to be polished in order to snag a precious, well-paying client, I’d love to share a quick guide with readers so they don’t fall into the same traps as I did.

As a salesperson, I often needed to capture the trust and interest of a potential client within the first minute of our interaction. Ensuring repeat business meant that I needed to carry that trust through the sale and beyond. As a freelance writer, I find that I have the same goal in my initial interactions with any potential new client.

– Establish Rapport: All business relationships are human relationships, and people feel more comfortable working with someone they can relate to.
– Discover Needs: Open-ended questions can help you uncover precisely what your client is looking for, especially when they aren’t entirely certain of that themselves and saves you both a lot of headaches later on.
– Solve Problems: After you’ve learned what you can do for them, present it so they understand what makes you the best person to help them achieve their goals.
– Provide Honesty: It’s vital to be forthright about what you are capable of as well as what you cannot accomplish. Don’t be afraid to disappoint, most clients will trust you more for being truthful.
– Upsell, Don’t Oversell: Every product sold should fill a need the client has. You want them to come back and tell their friends. They won’t they feel cheated.

I’ve found most of my effective sales tactics serve me well as a freelance writer, but this particular skill set has proven the most consistently useful. This is a highly competitive market and any client has lots of options. Building trust, uncovering hidden needs, and being able to custom tailor your message to those needs quickly will set even a new freelancer ahead of the crowd.

Hello, and thank you for this opportunity! By the way, congrats on the baby! 🙂

Here’s my pitch…

HEADLINE:

“The Ultimate List of Resources for Freelance Bloggers”
or
“Everything You Need to Be a Successful Freelance Blogger”

OPENING LINES:

Breaking into the freelance writing world can be sort of daunting. Some people feel confused, overwhelmed, or just plain stuck. Sound familiar? You have all of these questions, but where are the answers?

POINTS:

1. Books – A small list of some of the most helpful books about successful freelancing.
2. Blogs + websites – A small list of helpful blogs and websites for the freelance writing community.
3. Tools – A small list of software, apps, etc. that are helpful for freelance writers.
4. Courses – A small list of courses that are beneficial to furthering a freelancing career.
5. Facebook groups – A small list of Facebook groups in the freelance writing community.

WHY THIS PITCH:

I chose this topic because when I was new to freelancing, I was totally lost and I thought a post like this would be helpful. Even if people aren’t new to freelancing, they might find some of the information and resources that I list in this post helpful – especially if they’re struggling with something that one of the resources covers.

Hey Sophie and Lauren. Thanks for taking the time to read through these pitches. I entered pitchfest last time and got some great feedback, so even if I don’t win, this will still be a great experience. My pitch is below.

How Fear of Success Can Stop You From Getting Your First Clients

You can’t have read that right. Fear of success? Don’t you mean fear of failure? How are they different?

Let me ask you something. If you failed, what would change? Would it be different from where you are now? What about if you succeed?

1. In order to understand fear of success, we must first understand what success looks like. Success looks different for different people, but overall it means getting those first clients and helping you make a business that provides services.

2. Success is harder than failure, you have to put more work into succeeding and face multiple failures along the way.

3. Listening to this fear can result in self doubt and often prevents freelancers from pitching and networking, both of which are vital steps to obtaining these first clients.

4. Case studies of successful freelancers and how they hustled to get to where they are today. I plan on asking a handful of well-known freelancers like Gina Horkey and Carrie Smith about their struggles with similar fears and how they overcame them.

This concept applies especially to freelancers trying to get their first clients because working past that fear is one of the first things to overcome in the business. When starting a business, freelancers have to deal with fear of the unknown and it can stop them from obtaining those first clients. I let this fear take hold of me for two years before I finally started getting clients for my writing business, so I understand personally what the issue is and the importance of overcoming it.

Not bad, Melody. 🙂 And if you end up doing this post, you can interview me for the “case studies” section as well. I actually had to go to THERAPY to get over my fear of success (and I still struggle with it sometimes!).

How to Gamify Your Way to Your First Client
Game Time: A Fun Way to Find Your First Client
The Find Your First Client Challenge

Name your favorite board game.

What makes this a classic? The Theme? Your strategy? Unleashing your inner competitor and going for the win?

Regardless, what if you could channel that energy into the drudgery known as landing your first blogging client?

You can. By making a game of it.

Not to worry. You don’t have to build it….

6 points I’ll share in this post:
1. Why gamifying the client search works.
2. Setup and game play. (If you have pen and paper, you’re set.)
3. How to pick your strategy. (Choose from resources like the BAFB job board or posts like “9 Places to Find Blogging Job Ads That Don’t Suck” and “7 Ways to Make Your Free WordPress Site Look More Credible to Blogging Clients”)
4. What it takes to win (commitment, persistence, desire)
5. A quick tip for the rematch if you don’t win. (Been there. The rematch win feels way better than giving up.)
6. The sure fire way to not cheat.

Why is this great for BAFB? Because you publish posts that make freelance blogging feel doable. A post on gamifying the daunting client search suits this theme.

Why me? In 2014 I tapped my teaching and fitness training skills to create a game. Not just any game. But a challenge to face the fears and self-doubt that were killing my writing life. It worked. Now I play games to face all my writing blocks and publish the ones that work. In this post I’ll share a fun challenge that will motivate bloggers to do what it takes to score their first freelance client(s).

This definitely got my attention and I love your intro; however, I’d love to see you add a couple more sentences (without writing out the entire post!) for each of your headers so I can get more of a feel for what they’re each REALLY about. Thanks! 🙂

Thanks for the positive feedback on the headlines and intro to my proposed post on gamifying your way to a first client.

I restated the 6 points and added details directly below each item. I hope this adds clarity to my pitch.

Best,

Marianne

6 points I’ll share in this post:

1. Why gamifying the client search works.

Fear makes it easy to talk yourself out of today’s scheduled client search. And your promise to double your efforts tomorrow feels so good…until tomorrow. Committing to a game with a focused goal, strategy, point system and prize creates incentive to face the fear and follow through on intention.

2. Setup and game play. (If you have pen and paper, you’re set.)

This game involves:
1) Setting a focused/realistic goal and target point value(s) that can be achieved in 7 days;
2) Earning points each day for completing stated activities;
3) Putting a prize on the line;
4) Tracking progress with a calendar, app on your phone or scratch paper and pen.

3. How to pick your strategy. (Choose from resources like the BAFB job board or posts like “9 Places to Find Blogging Job Ads That Don’t Suck” and “7 Ways to Make Your Free WordPress Site Look More Credible to Blogging Clients”)

This section will answer two questions:
1) What’s holding you back? (outdated resume, no contacts, job board overwhelm, no website)
2) What can you do this week – without fail – to up your chances of scoring your first client? (Examples: Send 20 LOI’s, Apply for 1-3 opportunities on a job board, Publish your home and about pages)
I’ll link to relevant BAFB resources, and offer a K.I.S.S. tip to make choosing easy.

Interests, Education, Location & More: How to Catch Those First Clients with What You Already Have

When you are a new freelance blogger, it’s easy to focus on the clips you don’t have. And if you don’t have experience, what will you say in your pitch?

Luckily, you’ve lived a life before this career move. You’ve got your interests, education and address. You also have a resume, personal life and network. Before fearing you don’t have any expertise, let’s make sure you’re taking advantage of these:

Interests:

Anything you do for fun goes: Your favorite band, that TV show you can’t stand, fishing and traveling are all fair game.

Education:

What did you study in university? Were you homeschooled? What topics did you hate in high school?

Location:

You know how you scoff at tourists because they don’t know anything? We will milk that.

Whether you worked as a nurse, teacher, therapist or janitor, you have insider experience of at least one industry. Match your resume to a few potential niches, and you’ve got those clients!

People You Already Know

The most straightforward way: Have you let everyone know you are freelancing now? Many freelance bloggers got their first clients through their existing network.

*

This post works for beginner freelancers, as well as freelancers who feel stuck in certain niches. As writers, we have more knowledge than we think, but it is easy to get lost in a state of panic. With this post, I will talk writers through how I got my first clients through my interests (i.e. being a rock music geek), education (my Business BA got me my first business writing clips) and location (my knowledge of my hometown and my mother’s got me travel writing clips). I also plan to quote a few successful freelance bloggers on how these six got them their first clients as well. I’d be happy to provide more details, should you need them.

IF THERE SHALL BE ONE GOD , BE THAT YOUR CUSTOMER
Well the topic might upset some theists I believe, but on a serious note why would customers/clients keep coming to you if you don’t shower them with priorities. Before I begin let me thank Sophie & Loren for such an interesting topic to let my mind & inks flowing on this.
To begin with, winning over customers is more of a journey than a destination, as with every extra mile you are in more enriched position than ever before & every destination needs itinerary plans, and as the popular saying goes “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.”
Unfortunately, there’s no switch that will transform your company’s image in front of your client/customers’ from mediocre to excellent. But there are several tried-and-true steps you can take to ensure the ball’s still rolling & many more to come along. Instead of chasing customers let customers choose you above all. To make this ‘Chase’ to ‘Choose’ transition one has to come a long way. There are six steps, or as I call it a “ Faith chain” (much like a “Food chain pyramid” ) comprising of six steps or core values that flows the core of organization to the extreme limit of it: they are as follows:
1) Marketing/ Sales Strategy: Sits at the top of faith chain, & the first of the six values. Choosing your marketing strategy is the first step based on your product offering. Which is further divided into four sub categories:
i) No marketing: It is said that the best marketing is no marketing, what’s best than winning over your customer without spending a penny. Well, not everyone can afford that e.g. Lamborghini ( It was believed by them that the person who can afford Lamborghini can’t afford to sit around & watch TV commercials).
ii) Stimuli Marketing: To make your customers crave for more by stimulating their taste buds e.g Apple, Tesla motors.
iii) Subtle Marketing: Occasional presence with a strong message e.g. Nike.
iv) Super Marketing: Enter into the sub-conscious mind of clients/customers that you are there, if possible by disparaging your rivals e.g. Pepsi, Coke.
In all the above methods it’s up to you to choose your one carefully.
2) Mission statement: The second value depicts your mission i.e. your goals to achieve & dreams to pursue. More than anything else your purpose of serving a client by fulfilling his/her & your dream. By establishing a purpose of togetherness can instill a sense of “on a mission” statement which will result in a much stronger bond with clients.

3) Solve a problem: Why would anyone care about you if don’t in the same or even a better way? Try being the first one with your clients, & they’ll remember you forever.

4) Stand out: There are certain virtues that part you from your competitors (survival for the best). Let me share a small anecdote that’ll explain my view, when all birds take shelter in the trees to avoid rain, the eagle flies above the clouds for doing the same. So it’s necessary to stand out with your offering to your clients. This boils down further to further categories:

i) Quality: Don’t compromise on quality. Show your customers’ that you hold the highest regard for quality & intolerance towards mediocrity.
ii) Transparency: Be crystal clear in your approach to clients.
iii) Honesty: Don’t commit something which you can’t fulfill because trust once broken can’t build anything & once made can build anything.
iv) Ethics: A code of ethics will be an icing on the cake.

5) Client / Customer Service: Well this value needs no explanation I believe. According to the White House Office of Consumer Affairs, it can be six to seven times more costly to onboard a new customer than to retain an existing customer — meaning that if customer support isn’t already a priority at your business, it probably should be. In fact, data from Defaqto Research indicates that 55% of buyers would pay more for a better customer experience, reinforcing the business value of having a team that’s dedicated full-time to supporting customer needs. Keeping your customers happy is the biggest factor impacting your customer retention rates, and therefore not something to be taken lightly.

6) Show you care: Well you might argue that how is it different from the previous one, well it’s about walking that extra mile. There is no harm in showing how you care, by listening to your customers you are always one step ahead in creating that Ah! experience. Companies with good support teams can solve customer issues promptly & dare proactively solving problems before they even arise. By checking in regularly with your customers, even if it’s just a ten minute catch-up call or a quick quarterly meeting, you can stay on top of things instead of letting issues pile up until they’re brought to your attention. Not only will this make your customers’ lives easier, it will also mean fewer fires for your support team to put out down the line.

Please pardon if my dealing with the points are a bit lengthy, but I’ve tried my best to keep it as per guidelines. To sum it all , being in Engineering services it’s part of my job to satisfy customers, so I think I understand the core heretics of customer satisfaction as I’ve to practice it as a professional. So I think have I given a chance to elaborate my points I’ll do my best & hopefully I’ll bring something interesting into the table.

I’d like to conclude by thanking Sophie & Lauren once again for this wonderful topic.

Your pitch was a bit hard to read at first — next time, please break up your paragraphs.

I’m not sure if this is a good fit or not. It seems like fine advice for business owners (which freelancers technically are), but we like to make sure all of our posts are tailored specifically for freelance bloggers…

I’m excited to participate in my first pitchfest. Here is my post idea:

Landing Your First Client When the Competition is Fierce

I’m new to freelancing, I’ve actually only been paid for my writing once, and it wasn’t really for anywhere but my blog (it was a sponsored post). However, I just landed a writing gig after an open call on Facebook where many more experienced writers applied.

1) How I Got the Gig and You Can Too

Social Media is a great place to find freelance blogging gigs, often times bloggers will put out a call for writers in various groups they are in, but how you respond to the call can have a big impact on how successful you are with getting the gig.

2) How You Can Find Lesser Advertised Gigs

Not all requests for freelance writers are created equal, some are on several job boards, others are just a call out on social media. I would cover how to find less advertised but still very legitimate gigs.

3) How to Successfully Pitch Gigs That Have Instructions

Some requests for freelance writers have very detailed instructions on how they would like you to apply. Your pitch will be different for each place you pitch, simply because they have different focuses, but your pitch will also vary depending on how the request for writers was made. I would cover how you can make your post stand out even when following all the directions.

4) How to Successfully Pitch Gigs That Have No Instructions At All

Without instructions, it is tempting to send either a template pitch or everything you’ve ever done. I’d cover how to successfully apply/pitch any kind of call for writers.

I’m so excited to participate in my first Pitchfest. Thanks for providing such a great contest. I look forward to reading and implementing your feedback.

Thanks,

Rebecca Mathis

Ditch These 7 Toxic Thoughts to Snag Your First Clients

Opportunity is knocking and your first clients are waiting on the other side of the door. While a little apprehension when starting a new endeavor is healthy and normal, paralyzing panic is not. Don’t let these 7 toxic thoughts sabotage snagging your first clients

1. I don’t know what to blog about. – Think about what your interests are. Find blogs that align with your interests.
2. I’m afraid I don’t know how. – There is no one “right” way to blog. Your way will reach your audience.
3. I’m not good/talented enough. – Build your confidence by brushing up on your grammar, reading and implementing blogging and writing tips. Start blogging because YOU CAN DO THIS!
4. There is so much competition. – Yes, there is competition, but there is also enough opportunity for everyone. If you keep pitching, timing and the right opportunity for you will eventually collide.
5. I have to research my topic. – Fine, do your research, but set a limit. Research for two hours or find six facts/sources then writing.
6. I don’t understand SEO. – Don’t let this lame excuse stop you. Do a Google search and read up on it, then start writing.
7. I’ve never done this before. – Stop. Quickly list five things you do now that at one time, you had never done before (like drive a car). Just because you have never done something before, doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

This blog post is a great fit for Be A Freelance Blogger, because everyone doesn’t come to blogging with a portfolio full of writing credits and a closet full of confidence. I am the perfect person to write this blog because I have traversed through this toxic thought jungle and arrived confidently on the other side.

The Five Grave Mistakes That Cost Freelancers Their First Client
Getting first client as a newbie freelancer seems to be a daunting task. There’s just so much information out there – blogs, books, courses being pitched by experts that eventually cripples you from doing what really matters. You’re just so excited about getting started right that you can’t stop yourself from looking for the very best information.

1. Assuming what the client wants instead of finding out
Assumption is a killer. Freelancers fail to peruse instructions spelt out by client and thus failed in their bid to secure the project. Scan through the client’s project to fathom what they are really looking for.

2. Assuming that a project post long ago is no more available
Just because a project went up weeks or month ago, if it’s still active, no qualms getting in touch with the client. No one can tell whether the right freelancer is yet to pitch.

3. Failure to personalize
By including a client’s name in your proposal, there is a great chance of your proposal getting noticed among the sea of such. If you can’t find a name, see if a company name has been left, so use that.

4. Giving no value to the client in your proposal
By making valuable suggestions for the client that they can use when they hire you or not makes it clear to the client that you’re thinking about them and also position you as an expert in your field. Be specific on what strategy you would use to accomplish the client’s task

5. Remaining incommunicado
Nothing sucks like a freelancer that renders himself incommunicado. Freelancers at times bite more than they can chew and so if you have work overload and could not finish the task on time, always make sure to show at least a piece of work to the client by the deadline and ask for additional time for completion.

This is a great post for BFB because it will help freelance writer to avoid those pitfalls in securing their first client. I am the right person to write this post because I have tread those paths before and I want to others to avoid such pitfalls.

My pitch.
Title: Tips on how to find first client.
Introduction.
Freelancing its a business like any other and getting that first client it’s the turning point. The major challenge now is where and how to find that client. Here, i have listed the basic and effective ways of finding clients for freelance work.
1. You must be professional in your work. The clients you are looking for are also looking out for some body who offer quality work or services, so you need to be well prepared in whatever field of freelancing you practice.
2. Creating a strong online profile could work for a freelancer. this can be done on various websites Linkedin,indeed etc, clients look for people to hire from these sites. 3. Having your own website where you advertise your services through sample work . here you can define your target market. For your website to pick, you can start by referral system mostly through social network like twitter, facebook where friends can recommend you to others.
3. Pitching websites that accepts guest pitches, this way you can land a potential client.
4.Try online jobs advertisements like craiglist where you can find some work.

I consider these tips to be essential especially to the beginners like me who have no client base.

Hi Sophie and Lauren. I hope this pitch is close enough to fit. It’s about getting your first clients in a new niche, when you’re already blogging and freelancing in another one.

How to get your very first client in a brand new niche

We’re often advised to develop a specialty in our freelance blogging career, and it’s good advice, but what happens when we want to branch out and write about a new interest or passion, but we don’t have one single clip to show that we can write on this new topic.

There are a few ways things that can help.

Make sure your idea shines

Bloggers are looking for original ideas, and this might be to your advantage. As a newcomer to the niche you may be able to see exactly what’s missing from the blog you’re pitching. Is there anything that’s not covered if someone with a new interest in the topic lands on this particular blog?

Use your experience

You may not have written blog posts on this topic before, but there’s probably a reason you’re interested in it. Did you have an experience that could help readers? Can you tell your personal story (in a way that fits the blog’s style) or did you have to research a real life situation and you can now use the results of that research in a nice, a tightly focused piece?

Show that you know this niche, even if you’re not currently blogging in it

Use language that shows you know the topic. Refer to a current trend or news story. Mention an expert or book you plan to reference or quote. Make sure the blogger realises you’re familiar with the niche, even if you haven’t written on it yet.

Share links to a piece that’s similar in tone or style, if not in subject matter

The hard part of pitching a new niche is that most submissions guidelines ask for links to published pieces and that’s your chance to show that you can write on this topic. If you haven’t previously written on this topic, you can still show you can write for this blog.

You’ve studied the blog you’re pitching, right? You know it’s style and tone? You know whether they want research-heavy pieces or light, opinion pieces. Use a clip that shows you can write well in their preferred style, even if the subject matter in your published piece is very different.

Consider writing one or more ‘crossover’ pieces for your own blog or one you already write for

Are you a business blogger who wants to write about health? Maybe you can write an excellent piece on creating a healthy home office or the importance of work life balance for health. Maybe you’re a parenting blogger who wants to write about business? Perhaps a piece on your parenting blog explaining how parents can run their own business from home could be your crossover piece.

I think this would be a good post for Be a Freelance Blogger because most of us get to the stage where we want to write about more than one topic, and getting your first client in a new niche involves different challenges than getting your very first client. I think I’d be a good person to write it because I’ve used these tactics and made them work. For example, I started off travel blogging and when I wanted to write about parenting I wrote a couple of crossover pieces about travelling with children, then used them to pitch parenting blogs.

Hey, Karen! This is a great idea and your headers are pretty solid; however, I would have liked the freelancing aspect to be pushed a bit more — how would branching out into a new niche benefit you (or your clients) financially?

Hi Lauren. Sorry for the delayed response. I’ve just realised I’m not getting notifications for comments on this post. Not sure if that’s a tech issue or human error (ie it’s possible I didn’t tick the right box). My angle regarding freelancing is that breaking into a new niche allows you to pitch a wider variety of clients, get more work and potentially increase income by breaking into more lucrative niches. It would be from the angle of benefiting you as a freelancer rather than benefiting your existing clients. Hope that clarifies things.

The Dummy-Proof Way to Land Your First Client
(even if you have no money, no clips, and no confidence)

Do you want to make a living as a freelance blogger? So what’s stopping you from looking for your first client? Fear of rejection? Wanting everything to be perfect before you start pitching? Stuck in analysis-paralysis?

Here’s a simple step-by-step strategy that you can use right away to bag your first client:

1. Develop a minimalistic and optimistic mindset:
Your priority should be rapid execution of your plan, which is to pitch until you get your first client—instead of giving into perfectionism, procrastination, and shiny object syndrome.

2. Set up laser focus:
In the words of Jon Morrow, focus means to eliminate all distractions, including reading other blogs instead of taking action.

3. Fix a long-term strategy and daily schedule:
Make a checklist of where to pitch: job boards, social media, local businesses, Quora, Reddit, friends and colleagues—and schedule sufficient time daily.

4. Implement your strategy:
This is the crucial step where the rubber meets the road—find someone to hold you accountable, send at least one pitch every day, and (most important) reward yourself.

5. Persist until you succeed:
The best part of this rapid execution strategy is that no step is wasted—every rejection is a learning experience—and success is inevitable.

6. Celebrate and repeat the process:
Landing your first client is a heady experience—savor it and then look for your next assignment with renewed confidence.

I’m a long-time reader of BAFB and have made many false starts. This pitch is a brand new start and I’m determined to succeed this time. I think Be a Freelance Blogger readers will benefit from implementing ideas like rapid execution, laser focus, and daily pitching.

P.S. Here are related BaFB posts that I plan to link to:
Why Pitching to Blogging Clients Directly is Where the Money’s At
Pitchfest: Do Newbies REALLY Have A Chance at Winning? And If So, How?
9 Places to Find Blogging Job Ads That Don’t Suck
How to Convince Businesses That They Need a Blog
How to Use Facebook Groups to Land More Blogging Jobs
Be the Boss of Your Ideas: A Pitching System for Freelance Bloggers with Wandering Minds
How Nude Photos Convinced Clients to Hire a Blogger With a Shocking Past
How to Borrow My Clients and Make More Money Blogging
7 Clever Moves to Land Freelance Blogging Clients If English Is Not Your First Language
Freelance Proposals: How One Newbie Won 5 Gigs in 3 Days
Why Publicly Available Gigs Suck for Freelance Blogging… And an Alternative That Doesn’t
5 Easy Ways to Get More Blogging Pitches Accepted
Your Blogging Audition: How to Pitch Like a Movie Star
Here’s What Real Blog Editors Look For in Your Pitches
The Perfect Pitch Email to Get Your Guest Post Accepted
Freelance Writers, Beware: The 4 Query Mistakes That Kill Your Client’s Interest
How You Can Use Twitter to Land More Freelance Gigs
How Dogged Persistence Landed My First Regular Blogging Gig
7 Winning Ways to End Your Pitch, Query or LOI
How Facebook Helps You Find Freelance Blogging Jobs
7 Job Board Mistakes That Compel Clients to Reject You
What Your Freelance Blogging Portfolio Says About You: How Clients Decide Who to Hire
How to Land $100 Freelance Blogging Gigs Without Pitching

Dear Sophie & Lauren,
I look forward to your thoughts and feedback to my pitch. Thank you for such a wonderful opportunity to learn!
____

HEADLINE: Why Medium is a great place to get a head-start on your Writing Career.

OPENING LINES: In the age of internet and digital media, blogging is an increasingly popular choice for budding writers. However, it can be very confusing to know where to start especially if you do not have a writing portfolio backing you up.

KEY POINTS:

Personal Experience: An account of my own journey starting out as a writer on Medium, the confidence it gave me through quick and interactive responses to my writing and how it led to landing my first client!

Networking: Medium is a highly responsive platform for the online writing community. Frequent comments and recommendations from influencers or people with a high following pave the way for your work to reach and be appreciated by a much wider audience.

Saving Time: When you’re just starting out, it can be overwhelming not knowing where to start from. Instead of spending hours on marketing and promoting personal blogs or writing samples, here your work is being valued the moment it is published.

Confidence Boost: “My stats page showed that one article alone had been read by over 750 people and recommended by over 120 in a period of two days. All this with zero marketing cost!” For someone starting out and in search of validation, that should be music to their ears.

How to be successful starting out on Medium — The right things to do: Using great tools such as ‘publications’ and ‘highlights’, even a newbie like me can achieve highly satisfying results on Medium. Highlighting and interacting with other work by other writers and submitting to publications with large followings gives you great exposure.

RELEVANCE TO BAFB & WHY I AM THE RIGHT PERSON TO WRITE THIS:

The intent behind this post is to gives its readers literally a ‘medium’ to get a perfect motivational push to just get started without worrying about how to get recognition.

I have a degree in Psychology and currently I’m studying law. However, recently I have been dabbling with the idea of focusing my career on what I am truly passionate about — writing. Medium gave me a perfect platform to showcase my abilities and find confidence in my writing thus leading to new clients coming my way!

Oh yes , you want to be a blogger. You have read widely, attended some online training, stalked some experienced bloggers and lurked on various powerful blogs and websites. You have even sent one or two pitches. Still, your first client is yet to show up. Here are 5 likely reasons why….

POST POINTS.

1. You think you do not know enough yet ………………. Even though you have gathered a ton of information and learnt a lot, deep within you is the fear that you need more time to learn more and improve yourself. Of course this is not true. You have to start somewhere and it is only by starting that you will know what you know.

2. You are not pitching aggressively …………. A few pitches sent out randomly is not good enough. Instead you need to set pitching goals that challenge you e.g. send 3 pitches daily, send 10 pitches weekly, etc.

3. You have no portfolio / samples of your work ………….. Since you are just starting , you have no sample to show as evidence of your work but this really should not stop you because there are various ways to overcome it.

4. You take rejections personally ………… After those few pitches you sent were rejected, you wasted a long time sulking and feeling sorry for yourself instead of sending out even more pitches.

5. You treat blogging as a hobby ………… You are yet to dedicate an appreciable amount of your time to this because you only work when you feel like it. Anytime you are not in the mood, you walk away for days and even weeks at a time. The simple truth is that you have to treat blogging as a business to get results.

This post will help new bloggers see some of the likely reasons why they are yet to get their first client and also advise on steps they can take to correct the situation.

I don’t have a first client yet so I believe I am the right person to write this. All the points stated above have been experienced personally while the suggested solutions are also being used personally to correct the situation which actually led me to writing and submitting this pitch.

Hi Sophie and Lauren! I’m new at freelancing and discovering BAFB is a blessing. I’m learning a lot through the posts and the emails you sent. Although a newbie, I have a client who has been with me at the start of this freelancing journey and he still provides something for me to write about. I just want to share this and learn something from the experience. Thanks in advance!

Attitudes That Could “Wow” Your First Client

Impress your first client with winning virtues reflected in your writing. These attitudes will not only get them to like you (which are crucial as you are only starting a business relationship with your clients) but they will also get them to endorse you.

1. Confidence. A pound of confidence is better than an ounce of it in writing. Clients are after writers who know what they are writing and can confidently express themselves.

2. Creativity. A tint of plagiarism is a major turn off. Creative minds generate unique ideas that your client would love to be the first one to read.

3. Clarity. Clarity of words will enable your readers to get a vivid picture of your ideas and emotions. Whatever you want to impart will become waste once you don’t get them straight into the point.

4. Competence. Your writing skills will have to be near perfect if you don’t want your client to be the first… and the last.

5. Consideration. This is evident in the way you deal with your client. Are you following specific instructions? Are you submitting on time?

6. Charity. This is two-fold. You are writing with all your best because you love writing. At the same time, your article must persuade readers that you love them so you’re giving them more learning and inspiration.

This is going to be a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because of the importance of these values which are what first clients are really looking for. As a writer, I’m the one fit to write this post. I had a successful story to tell about how these attitudes help me retain the satisfaction from my first client until now.

You’re ready to embark on the liberating, highly creative journey of freelance blogging. Smart move. Or is it?
Most of us won’t admit it, but being a freelance blogger requires more than literary magic. It requires a good dose of strategic thinking and a hefty pinch of business sense to score, retain, and really benefit from your first clients.

Rule #1: NEVER tell them they’re your first clients!
Fake it ‘till you make it, they say. And they’re right. It’s easier to find your first clients when they have the confidence that you know exactly what you’re doing.

Rule #2: Figure it out, fast.
New to WP? Never written about their industry? Don’t be afraid to take on the assignment and use it as an opportunity to grow. Ask the right questions, research the hell out of the subject, and keep a positive attitude if you know the job requires editing.

Rule #3: Think outside the box to get your first clients.
Don’t limit yourself to freelancer platforms: they charge high commissions for their services and expect you to compete with overseas cheap labor. As a freelance blogger, there’s more you can do than browsing blogger job boards. This section explores low-cost, high impact lead generation and marketing techniques every freelance blogger should use (LinkedIn/Twitter, unsolicited bids, “packaged pricing” to upsell your services and create ongoing relationship…)

Rule #4: It’s a numbers’ game. Act accordingly.
Spend time in new business development. It’s part of your job to get jobs. Spread the word out, include calls to action on your site/social media profile. Make it worth your while: when submitting bids (esp. if they’re unsolicited), always try to anticipate your potential clients’ needs: it’s easy to land a client when they feel that you’ve figured it out for them.

Rule #5: Test and adapt.
Don’t copy and paste cover letters: tailor it to the particular niche and needs of the client. If you’re not getting enough replies, it’s time to change your strategy. Overhaul your cover letter, revisit your portfolio, repackage your resume to give it more impact. Try different styles (classic, punchy, creative) and see which one gets most replies.

Rule #6: Don’t sell yourself cheap!
We’ve all underpriced ourselves with our first clients or been way to accommodating on terms.
Take into account your own costs when formulating a quote, such as your experience, skills, projected hours you’ll spend on a project, cost to acquire client, and, yes, taxes (let’s not forget that!). Do as much research as possible on the client to try to gauge their budget and spending propensity (are they an established business or a startup company short on funding? how much do they pay their employees for similar tasks?). Then, try to find a balance that makes sense for both of you. Keep in mind that employers also save on benefits, training, overhead.. by hiring you.

I think this would be a good post for BAFB because it provides very actionable tips that new (and even not-so-new) freelance bloggers learn the hard way. While the subject is directly about ‘scoring your first clients’, I think that even experienced freelance bloggers would benefit from reading it because most of us still use the same tactics that landed us our first clients when we should work to make our sales and marketing process more efficient. I think I’d be a good person to write it because I’ve learned from my mistakes and implemented a method that works. I’m now entirely self-sufficient and loving the blogging life!

I like this one, Eva. Especially if you add in personal experiences to each section. That kind of forehead slap realizations that we all had when finding our first clients (and then being total dummies when dealing with them!) is very relateable.

You’ve decided that what you really want to do with your life is become a freelance blogger (great idea!). You just know you have a superstar blogger inside fighting to get out. So, you sit down at your computer and fire up your favorite search engine to look for ideas. You find blogs like this one, and they all have such great suggestions that you bookmark them all and read them religiously. You browse around Amazon too, and buy a few of the highly recommended books listed in your favorite writing blogs. Maybe you even make a list of blogs you want to submit posts for. And then… somehow the train goes off the rails, because you never actually get to the point of submitting a pitch to anyone. It’s time to admit that you have a problem: you’ve become an Information Junkie.

Top Points:

-Signs you may be an Information Junkie, including:
–Spending hours on the Internet reading about how to write but never actually writing anything;
–Having great ideas for blog posts that you’ve written in your head that never make it to your email client;
–Making endless excuses about why now is not a good time (“It’s the holiday season, all the editors will be on vacation. Maybe next year.”).

-My own sad story (see the paragraph at the end of this comment)

-Change is always scary, and especially so when change means putting yourself out there by doing something like sending a cold pitch. That’s your self-esteem on the line! Here I’ll have ideas on how to cope with the fear of rejection.

-Sending a cold pitch is like asking someone on a first date. It’s awkward, even scary, but if you don’t take that first step you’ll never have the chance to build a relationship with that person.

-Ways to make that first pitch less frightening, including:
–Start out by sending guest post pitches rather than trying to take over an entire blog at once, as guest posts give you a chance to hone your writing skills and master the format;
–Pick a blog that’s not one of your absolute favorites, so you won’t be so anxious – and if you blow it it’s not such a disaster;
–Write on a subject that you know backwards and forwards; this is a great confidence-builder. Save the topic you need to research like crazy for next time.

This is a suitable topic because inevitably, a lot of this blog’s readers are Information Junkies stuck in an endless research loop. Let’s give them the nudge they need to take the final step and get writing. As an Information Junkie in recovery, I’m the right person to hold forth on this topic. Briefly, I’ve been dancing around the edges of freelance writing for years, doing a little here and a little there while making excuses about why I wasn’t ready to go full-time. Then the rug got yanked out from under me when my employer of 11 years was acquired by another company and I became “redundant” (no fooling, that’s the word the HR person used in her bye-bye phone call to me). If I’d gotten serious about freelance writing earlier, I could have left on my own terms years ago instead of being dumped out to sink or swim…

I examined myself carefully in the mirror as I thought of the next line in the blog I was currently writing. I didn’t have experience in many things. I did however know about how to make money doing prostitution. Well, they always said write about what you know!.

1. Important to have confidence in your appearance.

It’s very important to have confidence in your appearance. I suggest dressing in your sexiest outfit and taking a walk through a construction site.

2. The important thing to remember is to find clients that will pay you!

All those guys that whistled at you as you walked through the construction site probably wouldn’t have the finances to support you in the style you want to become accustomed to.

3.How to let a potential client know what you are selling!

Prostitutes must make suggestions in the most descrete ways so as not to get arrested.

“Would you like a date?”

4. Your client that you find on the street will probably respond with a financial offer of something like $25. You need to make him realize that this is a once in a lifetime opportunity that he will always remember and needs to be paid well.

5. If your client seems comfortable with the current amount he is spending, try to upgrade him to more expensive services.

“Sir I would be happy to spend the night with you! Oh, oh let’s just get that pesky extra $250. out of the way so we can begin enjoying ourselves.”

6. Have cards printed with your contact information.

“Here go, Hun. Let me just tuck this card into your pocket.” and you briefly kiss him as tuck the card into his pocket.

Why this is a great post:

I can see this subject being very humorous. I think if it is handled delicately it can be shocking and attention getting. The subject matter can also be related to most business transactions.

I believe I would be the right person to write this post because it was my idea! I think applying business practices to this in a very human matter would be good satire.

If no one looks at your blog is it any good?
Dang, I keep trying is anyone ever going to say yes?
Great stagnation questions ……

You can break past any limitation.

Where do I begin? (the song rolled in my head, seemed to fit).
Anyway – like Nike – just do it!

1. How to begin – cannot seem to get started take out that tablet and write anything!
2. Cannot write past that block – take one step at a time. Write without thinking and keep going like you’re running a race. Do not correct, revise or critique until you have stopped.
3. I just don’t know what to write about – write about not knowing what to write about….
4. Reinventing the wheel – why? We are in the world of rehash. Just get started and get it done. You will be glad that you did.
5. I don’t have time – write about that while you’re on the toilet. Loose the magazine, videos, games or you tube distractions and write something.
6. I am too, too tired – working hard? Eat and write, take a bath write while in the tub.

Fear of failure, and fear of success are cousins on different ends of the spectrum. We can ping pong from one end to the other in this loop. I am a motivator, assisting with turn can’ts to cans, pick my blog and I will show you more….

For this to work, you’d need to introduce the freelancing element into it. It’s not enough just to talk about writing/blogging — you also need to say how it would earn you (or your clients) more money.

Hello Lauren,
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I’m so excited to participate in my first Pitchfest. Thanks for providing such a great contest. I look forward to reading and implementing your feedback.

Thanks,

Rebecca Mathis

Ditch These 7 Toxic Thoughts to Snag Your First Clients
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Opportunity is knocking and your first clients are waiting on the other side of the door. While a little apprehension when starting a new endeavor is healthy and normal, paralyzing panic is not. Don’t let these 7 toxic thoughts sabotage snagging your first clients

1. I don’t know what to blog about. – Think about what your interests are. Find blogs that align with your interests.
2. I’m afraid I don’t know how. – There is no one “right” way to blog. Your way will reach your audience.
3. I’m not good/talented enough. – Build your confidence by brushing up on your grammar, reading and implementing blogging and writing tips. Start blogging because YOU CAN DO THIS!
4. There is so much competition. – Yes, there is competition, but there is also enough opportunity for everyone. If you keep pitching, timing and the right opportunity for you will eventually collide.
5. I have to research my topic. – Fine, do your research, but set a limit. Research for two hours or find six facts/sources then writing.
6. I don’t understand SEO. – Don’t let this lame excuse stop you. Do a Google search and read up on it, then start writing.
7. I’ve never done this before. – Stop. Quickly list five things you do now that at one time, you had never done before (like drive a car). Just because you have never done something before, doesn’t mean you can’t do it.

This blog post is a great fit for Be A Freelance Blogger, because everyone doesn’t come to blogging with a portfolio full of writing credits and a closet full of confidence. I am the perfect person to write this blog because I have traversed through this toxic thought jungle and arrived confidently on the other side.

The best way to provide the highest level of service to your first freelance blogging clients is to make the process as simple as possible. Focusing on the service experience keeps your clients happy and helps you retain them longer; simplifies your work; and is easy to replicate later on.

How to Simplify the Service Experience
-Organize a “getting to know you” call: Although it may seem time-consuming, having a better process to vet your first clients will help you determine if you are a good fit and if the work is within your skill set.

-Have a transparent rate sheet: Your first clients are likely concerned about the bottom line right out of the gate. Being able to provide them with timely responses and a standard set of rates will look more professional and set you apart from competitors.

-Use software to organize your life: From spreadsheets to invoicing and more, having software that helps your business will save you time (and money), as well as give clients a better experience through seamless, personalized attention through custom invoices and more.

-Keep standard answers to questions on hand: Over time, you may receive the same questions over and over from your first clients. Once you recognize patterns, create a list and keep the answers on hand so you can reference them and improve your answers later on.

-Provide continuous communication: Being responsive from the beginning of your project with your first clients allows them to understand how you operate and be more willing to hire you again.

-Understand their past experience with people like you: Do you get the feeling your clients have been burned in the past or haven’t had a good experience with a freelancer? Getting to the root of that problem allows you to show your first clients how you are different and are looking to provide them the best level of service they deserve.

This is a great post for Be a Freelance Blogger because getting to know your first clients can be a daunting process. I have built internal systems and a set of standards for client services over the years which gives me a unique perspective into how any freelancer, but especially bloggers, can run a business successfully.

Other people whose pitches we feel are ready to draft:
(If your name’s on this list, we encourage you to either pitch your idea to one of the sites in The Ultimate List of Better-Paid Blogging Gigs, or write a full draft and submit it to [email protected] for publication as a traditional, unpaid guest post on Be a Freelance Blogger.)
Bridget Williamson
Stephanie Ruopp
Dennis Ramsey
Cherese Cobb
April
Penny Tristram
Eden B
Melody Van De Graaff
Pinar Tarhan
Rebecca Mathis
Rohi Shetty
Eva du Monteil

Thank you for the opportunity and I appreciate being selected for third place. This was the first Pitchfest I’ve participated in and I really enjoyed seeing all of the ideas and creativity. I’ll be sure to email you soon! 🙂

Thank you both so much for all the helpful comments on everyone’s pitch.
I learned a lot reading the pitches and comments. Thanks also for the
encouragement of including the list of those pitches ready to draft.
It gives me even more courage to pursue guest blogging opportunities.
I can’t wait to see my blog post in print!

Congrats to Mary, Aisha and Megan – I look forward to reading your posts.
And thanks as always to Sophie, Lauren and Alicia for your helpful reviews.
(Sorry for checking in so late – two of my cousins died in the same week.)
I’ll be working on my draft soon.